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Active Member

Senior Member

If its really cold fish naturals like maggot in a feeder or lobworms on a light lead close to where they are lying up. Fish the last hour of daylight and first hour of darkness.The Warm westerly with rain as Richard says is always the time to make a point of getting out though even if only for an hour. Barbel can be almost guaranteed in these conditions if you are in the right place fishing well.

Senior Member

Senior Member

Jake - you fish in Yorkshire? So do I.
Personally from now until near the end of the season I target chub & pike. A couple of friends do target barbel all winter but for very scant rewards.
Guess you're on spate rivers and even on mild days, if it gets rain or snow melt up in the dales it can kill it.
We've had some good fish in Feb and March under the right conditions.

Active Member

Cheers for the reply’s lads, I’ll be fishing the ure, which doesn’t have many fish as it is, hopefully catch it when the conditions are right but at the minute it’s going to be the natural route when it’s like this

Senior Member

I like this time of year especially, the pressure is off to catch, if you blank you have a ready made excuse, but this is the time from now, all the way to the end of the season records can be broken, and that is exciting.
Not that I expect to catch a record Barbel but the barbel are at their heaviest and for me just a couple or so hours on the bank is enough.
Most if not all the boat traffic is gone on the Warks Avon, as have a large amount of anglers too, it really is a bit special when you feel the weather gives you an outside chance of a 'lump'.
And not least meat plays a part now, the Eels are less active so non of those annoying tap taps, and nibbled bait.
Remember Haloween 2016? The night was warm, in the 20's, and the Severn record went, I even managed a 13 plus as did a fair few on here too, that was pure magic, it's why we do it.

Senior Member

I fish a very prolific stretch of river every winter targeting big Roach but the best winter roach swims are also the best Barbel swims. In the summer the Barbel are spread along the whole stretch but come winter and 95% of the Barbel live in just two swims. Reliable winter barbel swims rarely change, just like good flood water swims, year on year the fish seem to migrate to these areas,you just need to find them.But as others say if its too cold target other species,but why not spend the last hour of the day trying for barbel.If you do not catch then you have only wasted an hour.

Senior Member

I like this time of year especially, the pressure is off to catch, if you blank you have a ready made excuse, but this is the time from now, all the way to the end of the season records can be broken, and that is exciting.
Not that I expect to catch a record Barbel but the barbel are at their heaviest and for me just a couple or so hours on the bank is enough.
Most if not all the boat traffic is gone on the Warks Avon, as have a large amount of anglers too, it really is a bit special when you feel the weather gives you an outside chance of a 'lump'.
And not least meat plays a part now, the Eels are less active so non of those annoying tap taps, and nibbled bait.
Remember Haloween 2016? The night was warm, in the 20's, and the Severn record went, I even managed a 13 plus as did a fair few on here too, that was pure magic, it's why we do it.

Senior Member

I and a few other lads caught in -7c air temperature over a weekend....its doable but you need to be in the right area....we favoured deeper water with Boilies as bait. It wasn't a bite a chuck but we all caught.

Senior Member

It's never 'a bite a chuck' for most of us.
As suggested already it's all about choosing favourable conditions, or having the opportunity to fish in said conditions; namely temps on the rise, coloured water and a drop in atmospheric pressure. I fish for barbel all year round and blanks are par for the course - it's important to also remember that the when barbel are more dormant (as they are in colder conditions) their feeding window is shorter, so patience is the key.